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Category: Design

Colons at the end of labels?

Caroline Jarrett 12 May 2025 1 May 2006
Colons at the end of labels?

It’s been a long month – lots to do, lots to think about. And what, in the whole wide world, am I going to thrill you with this month? Well, my dear and loyal readers: it’s forms again. That’s whatContinue reading… Colons at the end of labels?

Unethical or merely inept?

Jane Matthews 10 December 2019 2 April 2006
Unethical or merely inept?

My printer died. It was a Xerox Phaser 8200, a colour printer that uses ‘solid ink’ technology. I liked it a lot because it was quick, high quality, and the solid ink is relatively inexpensive. It had done well forContinue reading… Unethical or merely inept?

Two-column forms are best avoided

Jane Matthews 23 March 2020 1 March 2006
Two-column forms are best avoided

A concerned designer wrote to me: ‘Our forms are laid out in a single vertical column. A new project manager is pushing to get the forms for a new product to ‘look different from other products’ by requesting a twoContinue reading… Two-column forms are best avoided

Rules for labelling buttons

Jane Matthews 10 December 2019 30 January 2006
Rules for labelling buttons

It was one of those really conscientious discussions that seemed to have no end. First UI designer: ‘Right. Now here we have a tabbed dialogue box. When you press ‘Cancel’, it should remove all the changes the user has doneContinue reading… Rules for labelling buttons

Ticket, please? Thoughts on visibility of system status

Jane Matthews 23 March 2020 27 October 2005
Ticket, please? Thoughts on visibility of system status

We open with a story that’s a touch complicated. Hang in here with me, the usability point will come through in the end. My husband loves his railways. He’s mostly into railways as they actually are today, as a practicalContinue reading… Ticket, please? Thoughts on visibility of system status

What’s News? And what’s not?

Jane Matthews 23 March 2020 26 September 2005
What’s News? And what’s not?

Novelty attracts – or so we’re told. If you want to get repeat visitors to your website then you need to be offering them ‘new stuff’ with each visit. Perhaps the popularity of blogs is partly because you’re likely toContinue reading… What’s News? And what’s not?

Registration Forms – what to do if you can’t avoid them

Jane Matthews 10 December 2019 23 August 2005
Registration Forms – what to do if you can’t avoid them

The sad thing about registration forms is that users hate them. Stick a form in front of them and they leave your site, they lie, or if they are really web-savvy they use a privacy protection service such as Bugmenot.Continue reading… Registration Forms – what to do if you can’t avoid them

Matters of life and death: an investigation of “living wills” and other advance directives

Caroline Jarrett 5 June 2024 12 August 2005
Matters of life and death: an investigation of “living wills” and other advance directives

Earlier this year, we learned of the bitter legal battles over Terri Schiavo. Her husband and her parents disagreed on whether to continue to give her treatment after she collapsed into a coma seven years ago. Like Terri, I haveContinue reading… Matters of life and death: an investigation of “living wills” and other advance directives

Sentence or title case in ISO-9241:1998

Caroline Jarrett 16 April 2025 30 July 2005
Sentence or title case in ISO-9241:1998

Update in 2025. This article was published in 2005 and reflected the standards available then. ISO 9241:1998 was withdrawn in 2021. Back in the 2000s, we referred a lot more to ISO standards, Twenty years later, we’re more likely toContinue reading… Sentence or title case in ISO-9241:1998

Persona-led heuristic inspection is here

Jane Matthews 10 December 2019 31 May 2005
Persona-led heuristic inspection is here

Last week, a sell-out crowd made their way to Oyster Partners to hear Ginny Redish talk about her recent work at a meeting of the UK chapter of the Usability Professionals’ Association. Ginny’s talk ranged widely across content and theContinue reading… Persona-led heuristic inspection is here

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